Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is available through Virtus Genetics for women who are at least 9 weeks pregnant, and would like reassurance about the health of their unborn child.
Virtus Genetics uses the Panorama Test, which is a non-invasive blood test that is safe for you and your baby. The test provides information about whether there is a high chance that your baby has a chromosome condition, such as Down syndrome.
Panorama NIPT detects more than 99% of the chromosome conditions for Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome), 18 (Edwards Syndrome) and 21 (Down syndrome), making it the most accurate NIPT test available. Our NIPT test also screens for Monosomy X (Turner Syndrome) and Triploidy
The Panorama NIPT test can provide an indication as to whether there is a high chance your baby has a chromosomal condition, and can therefore help you decide whether further testing during the pregnancy such as a chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, is something that you want to pursue.
Both CVS and amniocentesis are invasive tests, and have associated risks, including the small chance of miscarriage. This should be discussed with your doctor.
The Panorama test is suitable for women who are at least 9 weeks pregnant, particularly patients who have a higher chance of chromosome abnormalities.
These include:
Please note that the test is also suitable for women who are carrying more than one baby (twins), surrogates, women who have used an egg donor or embryos, or have received a bone marrow transplant. Twin zygosity is tested and reported.
During pregnancy, some of the DNA from the baby crosses into the mother’s bloodstream. DNA carries the baby’s genetic information on the chromosomes. The Panorama NIPT test uses a blood sample from the mother to find the baby’s DNA, which allows scientists to screen for certain chromosome variations that could impact the baby’s health.
To have the test, a small sample of blood is drawn from the mother’s arm.
